La Chaya Bistro

The Scene
It’s hard to believe this new Kingfield charmer was once a KFC. The impressive transformation of the narrow space includes earth-toned walls, a collection of paintings and photographs, solid wooden tables flanked by high-backed chairs, wall benches constructed from salvaged barn planks, flickering votive candles, and bud vases sporting blooms du jour. There’s also a delightful small patio attractively landscaped with flowers and boulders. However, most striking of all is the assortment of sculpture and metalwork and the stunning wine cave crafted by one of the owners. This is very much a casual and lingering place that is proving to be a draw for locals who range from roommates out for some wine and munchies to grandparents on a pizza/pasta outing with the grandkids.

Our Take
Chef and co-owner Juan Juarez Garcia, who has cooked locally at Sapor and Masa, grew up in Mexico and spent time cooking in Italy. His relatively compact menu—from a flawless beef carpaccio to a south-of-the-border-inspired halibut topped with a pumpkin-seed sauce—pays homage to both Garcia’s Mexican roots and his international experience. I find the cooking decidedly more traditional than fusion. In addition—as the genial wait staff is primed to inform you in their introductory spiel—the food here is made from scratch and, if possible, incorporates organic ingredients. For the most part, execution is solid. Deep-fried shrimp and calamari were lightly breaded and grease-free, a salad of mixed greens, diced pears, spicy candied walnuts, and crumbled sweet Gorgonzola bathed in a vinaigrette was a textural and palate-pleasing treat; a cooked-to-perfection rib eye rubbed with garlic and topped with a spunky caper sauce delivered on all fronts. Although the tiny open-to-view kitchen might be a limiting factor, I personally would enjoy a menu with a bit more ambition and breadth. There were only seven entrée choices, and only two of them—a pretty but restrained halibut baked in banana leaves with achiote and sour orange and the halibut with pumpkin-seed sauce—offered any notable depth. When it gets busy, service tended to get a bit hurried and distracted, but in general it is polished and upbeat.

Italian Influence
Chef Garcia spent a two-year sabbatical a decade ago working at small restaurants in Sardinia and Rome. He came away with some basic truths about cooking that we are rediscovering in America. Making restaurant food without benefit of pre-prepped and frozen ingredients invites higher costs, but the end results taste better. In Italy, Garcia discovered that simplicity trumps complexity when it comes to letting the flavors of great ingredients shine through. Whether it’s his tortillas, chorizo, or juices, everything at La Chaya is freshly made, and since nothing can be thawed, when there’s a run on a dish it’s gone. It’s how the Italians cook, and the chef prides himself on emulating that great tradition.